wrestling icon died
Florida police conclude Hulk Hogan died of natural causes, close investigation
Florida police have officially closed their investigation into the death of wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, concluding that he died of natural causes and that there was no evidence of criminal activity.
The Clearwater Police Department on Friday released a 72-page report detailing its review of witness statements, medical records, surveillance footage and an examination of Hogan's body.
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, died on July 24 last year at the age of 71.
Investigators said there was no indication that his death resulted from anything other than natural causes.
“There has been no evidence to indicate any criminal wrongdoing related to his death,” the report stated, adding that the case has been closed as a non-criminal investigation.
According to police, Hogan was at his Florida home when he stopped breathing. His wife, Sky Daily Hogan, along with a home health aide and an occupational therapist, were present at the time. After calling emergency services, they performed CPR until firefighters and paramedics arrived.
Family members told investigators that Hogan had been dealing with several serious health problems in the weeks leading up to his death, including leukemia, an irregular heartbeat, pneumonia and kidney failure. He had also undergone multiple surgeries and hospital treatments over the years.
Police said early comments from the occupational therapist led to speculation that a recent surgery may have contributed to Hogan’s death through damage to a nerve involved in breathing. However, the therapist later clarified that he had been shaken by the emergency situation and had spoken inaccurately.
The local medical examiner previously determined that Hogan died from a heart attack and decided that a full autopsy was unnecessary. A separate private autopsy commissioned by the family reached the same conclusion, finding no evidence that trauma or toxic substances contributed to his death.
Hogan was one of the biggest stars in the history of WWE and played a key role in transforming professional wrestling into a global entertainment phenomenon.
He headlined the first WrestleMania in 1985 and became one of the sport’s most recognizable figures. During his career, he faced legendary wrestlers including Andre the Giant, Randy Savage and The Rock, as well as WWE co-founder Vince McMahon.
Hogan won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. He was removed from the Hall of Fame in 2015 after recordings surfaced of him using racist language, but he later apologized and was reinstated in 2018.
A private funeral attended by family and close friends was held several weeks after his death at a church in Florida.
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